The Triple 15.

— 1 May, 2013

Introducing the Triple 15 Challenge! We’ve gone back and forth a few times, debating on if we wanted to do another challenge, but the 30 Day Challenge was such a hit we thought ‘Why not?’ I’ve personally completed our 30 day challenge several times, and it’s a great refresher for when you’re feeling stuck. For those looking for a more challenging option (but don’t have a lot of time to spend on it), we’re introducing our Triple 15 Challenge.

Our Triple 15 Challenge is pretty simple, but more challenging for those that have completed the 30 Day Challenge and want to bump it up a notch. So what is the Triple 15? 15 days, 15 minutes, 15 items a day. Sound easy? Let’s give it a shot! For the next 15 days we’re going to pick one space in our home to declutter for 15 minutes. During those 15 minutes we’ll have chosen 15 items to toss, donate, recycle, etc. At the end of the challenge we’ll have decluttered a whopping 225 items! But don’t let that number scare you. Just about anything can count as an item, including clothing, food, accessories, etc. It’s up to you how challenging you want to make this.

For example: On day 1, you may chose to declutter your fridge for 15 minutes. You may decide you want to toss out 15 food items that are unhealthy. Or you may choose to declutter 15 condiments you’re no longer using or are expired. On day 2, you may choose to declutter your bedroom closet for 15 minutes. You may decide to donate 15 clothing items that no longer fit right. Etc.

You can choose the order you’d like to tackle the spaces in, or if you’d rather follow along with us, we’ll post daily on Facebook and Twitter the spaces we’ll be working on. We’ll also posts tips on Facebook and Twitter daily, so you can follow along with those if you’re feeling lost.

This challenge has ended, but you can still take if yourself! We’ve included the tasks below. Good luck!

Day One:Warm-Up:Spend 15 minutes today decluttering those stacks of papers/receipts on your counter or desk. Remember to recycle or toss 15 items.

Day Three:Bathroom: Let’s make our way into the bathroom today. If you’re like me, then you hate cleaning this space (mainly the toilet). So to make it easier to clean, let’s declutter it! Spend 15 minutes today in your bathroom cabinets, towel closet, or shower. Remove 15 items. This can include almost empty products, excess towels, etc.

Day Four:Office/Desk: Our desks are spots where clutter just seems to accumulate. We’ve already tackled the paper pile, so now let’s move onto the rest of the clutter: Pens, paper clips, staplers, magnets, sticky notes, etc. Spend 15 minutes today decluttering your desk (the top, the drawers, and even the filing cabinet if you have one).

Day Six:Entertainment: How large is your movie and music collection? Set 15 minutes aside today and declutter your DVD collection, CD collection, or even your DVR. Remember to toss at least 15 items.

Day Seven:Clothing: It’s time to tackle one of the largest collections in our homes, our clothing. Pick a closet, dresser, or even laundry basket and spend 15 minutes decluttering. Donate at least 15 items today.

Day Eight:Storage: One place we don’t think to look when decluttering is our storage bins. You’ve already organized and downsized these once before, right? Well, when was the last time you went through these storage bins? Set 15 minutes aside today and go through some of your forgotten storage bins. Remove/toss/donate at least 15 items you find in these bins. Such as old comic books, children’s toys, winter clothing, etc.

Day Ten:Decorations: Take a look around your home. Do you have too many knick-knacks, wall art, or other home decor items? Set aside 15 minutes and declutter your home decor. Focus on the items that are rarely seen or are just accumulating dust.

Day Eleven:Kitchen: We’re almost done! Another commonly cluttered space is the kitchen. With so many pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc. it’s no wonder this space grows cluttered quickly. Take 15 minutes today and pick a cabinet, drawer, or even counter top and remove 15 items.

Day Twelve:Guest/Kids/Etc.: Pick one of your rooms (beside a bedroom) in your home today, such as a guest room, kids room, sun room, etc. Spend 15 minutes decluttering items being kept as storage in these spaces.

Day Fourteen: Bedroom: Move on into your bedroom today. Pick a corner, table, or the floor and spend 15 minutes organizing and decluttering. Donate 15 items.

Day Fifteen:Final Walkthrough: And we’re done! Spend 15 minutes today doing a full check of your home. Check each room and compile a mental checklist of areas you feel proud of and areas that need work. As you make your way through your house, remember to declutter 15 items along the way.

Subscribe to our RSS feed to receive our updates regularly. Find us on Facebook or Twitter to connect with us and with others.

For tips on how to begin your decluttering journey, you can Start Here, or snag a copy of the 30 Day Challenge (our Minimalism and Decluttering eBook).